The Bloodbending Princess
by FireAndIce123
Summary: Princess Azula of the Southern Water Tribe has turned sixteen, which means it won't be long before she has to marry. When she finds an airbender, frozen for a hundred years in an iceberg, she doesn't hesitate for one second and leaves her icy prison with him. Entry for Azulaweek 2018.


Azula looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't think she looked like a princess. Her blue eyes weren't soft or kind, instead they seemed to burn with fierce determination. She didn't wear her hair down or in intricate braids, as most girls did. Instead, she preferred to pin it on top of her head, making sure it didn't hinder when she was training.

Azula wasn't sure she wanted to be a princess.

Someone knocked on her down and she was brutally snapped from her thoughts. Looking at the closed door she hesitated to open it. She really didn't want to be disturbed right now. They barely allowed her time to be alone.

'Azula, it's me,' a voice said. It was muffled because of the think icy door, but Azula recognized the voice nonetheless. She sighed as she turned back to the mirror. 'Come in,' she said unenthusiastically.

Her mother entered the room. She smiled - her usual facial expression, unless she was unhappy about something Azula did, what happened quite a lot.

'What is it?' Azula asked before her mother could speak.

She frowned - there it was again, that disapproving look. Azula and her mother looked at each other through the mirror.

'There's no need to be so snappy, my dear,' Ursa said and Azula relaxed her shoulders, surprised her mother didn't comment on her unladylike behaviour. 'Tomorrow is your birthday, after all!'

Azula's tensed up again.

'I'm so excited,' Ursa continued. Azula's eyes fixed on the present she held in her hand. Ursa realised what she was looking at. 'It's not really a gift,' Ursa said. 'We've talked about it for quite a while… but here's your celebratory dress.'

Azula tried to smile, she really did. Her face just didn't feel like cooperating with her wishes.

'Thank you mother,' she said, her voice sounding stiff.

Ursa's smile grew a little hesitant. 'Don't you want to see it?'

No, Azula wanted to say, but she didn't want to have another discussion with her mother about clothing and she didn't feel like ruining her mother's good mood either. Not because she was so fond of her mother - but because one way or another, it would come back to bite her. So she repressed a sigh and stood up.

Her mother smiled brightly, revealing the dress. Azula had to admit that it was of good quality - but that was the only thing she liked about it. It was made in a blue colour - too bright to her taste - and embroidered with small moons in every possible form. It looked very feminine, very unpractical and very uncomfortable.

'Do you like it?' her mother asked.

Azula couldn't say no, so instead she nodded, but she didn't speak, knowing her voice would betray her. There was no way she could pretend to be happy with this. She hated dresses.

Her mother beamed as she placed the dress on top of Azula's bed, before turning to her daughter again. She frowned. 'You're a woman now, Azula, you should not wear your hair like that anymore,' she said. 'And your clothes - there so unfeminine! What will Chan say?'

'I don't care what Chan thinks,' Azula said without thinking. 'Or what he says. He's not here anyway.' She bit her lip and turning her back to her mother again, taking place on the seat in front of her mirror.

'He's your financé,' Ursa said. 'You should care about that.'

'Well I don't, okay?' Azula snapped. 'Could you please leave me alone now?'

She buried her face in one hand, hoping that for once, her mother would honour her request. How she hated her birthday, how she had feared this day for years! Tomorrow, after she had reached the age of sixteen, she would be _allowed_ to marry. And then her betrothal to Chan would be made known to the world. She only had a few precious hours left and she didn't wish to spend them in the company of her mother.

She didn't hear her leave, but Ursa didn't speak either. Instead, she came closer and started to undo Azula's hair. She didn't protest as her mother started to comb her hair.

'You have beautiful hair,' Ursa said.

Beauty. That was all her mother cared about. Beauty and dresses and _Zuzu_. It wasn't fair, Azula thought bitterly. Zuko was eighteen and he wasn't married yet. She would probably already have a child by the age he had now. And why? Because she was a woman? He would get to fight the Fire Nation - and if he didn't return, she would be her father's heir...

Ursa braided her hair. After she was finished, she softly placed it on Azula's back. 'Tomorrow should be a celebratory day, you know,' she started.

'I don't want to hear it,' Azula grumbled.

'But…'

'Leave me alone! _Please…_ '

* * *

It was a full moon - the only good present she would get for her birthday, she assumed. Azula had made sure no one had seen her leave the palace. She stood in the garden now, full of ice sculptures and one hot spring.

Azula remembered how she and Zuko had built snow witches and ice caves when they were little. She had always done most of the work, but Zuko always got the praise. He was the boy after all.

The only person who didn't treat her like that, was her father. As prince and now as chief, he had allowed her to learn to fight. She had vowed herself to not let him down and she hadn't. Azula knew she was the best Waterbender in her Tribe, perhaps even the best bender in the world. She could beat every man in her class with ease.

She had to 'train' with the women as well, healing the sick. As princess, she was supposed to use her bending to help people, but she didn't want to do that. She wanted to fight.

Azula took a few deep breaths and threw her head in her neck, soaking in the moonlight. Absentmindedly, she turned the snow around her in water. She could feel the extra strength the moon provided her and wished she was by the ocean right now, capable of letting go of some of her anger by destructing some of the glaciers.

She wondered if Chan would allow her to let her bend. She didn't know to much about him, only that he was the son of the chief of the Southern Water tribe, that he was a non-bender and that he had a little sister, Azula's age, who would join him. Since her birthday took place on the Winter solstice, he wasn't here yet. The waters were too dangerous to navigate during the dark winter period. But in a few months, he would be here, and they would be married.

Azula bowed her head and cried.

* * *

She had been right - the dress was uncomfortable. She looked at herself in the mirror and found that she didn't recognize her reflection. When would she finally see herself in that mirror? When would they accept her as a warrior and not as a princess? She knew the answer. Never.

Perhaps she should leave, Azula thought. Perhaps she should leave the tribes to find a live in another place. Someplace warmer. Perhaps near a beach, where she could swim in the sea and walk around without shoes.

'Can I come in?' Ozai asked.

Azula tried to breathe deeply to calm herself, but she found that wasn't possible in her dress. Trying to keep her voice as steady as she could, she said he could.

Ozai looked at his daughter. 'You look stunning,' he said, rewaring her with one of his rare smiles. 'You would even look more beautiful if you at least tried to look happy.'

I try, Azula wanted to say. Instead she nodded.

'It's your birthday,' Ozai said. 'There's no place for worries right now.' Azula nodded again, afraid that if she spoke, she started crying.

Ozai touched her necklace. She wore the one that had once been of his mother. It wouldn't be long before Chan arrived and she would have one of her own.

'I have a gift for you,' he said. 'It's a traditional gift for a waterbending woman who turns sixteen.' He handed her a small bottle. 'It carries water from the sacred place,' he said. 'Capable of curing the most severe of wounds.'

Azula tried to smile again. 'Thank you father,' she said softly.

'Anything for my little princess,' Ozai said, placing a small kiss on top of her head. Azula closed her eyes, holding on to the bottle.

'I know you worry about Chan,' Ozai said, still holding his daughter, who seemed more terrified than he had ever seen her. 'But he isn't here just yet. Try to enjoy your birthday.'

She nodded. 'I will,' she said, but he could hear she was suppressing her tears. So he held onto her, wondering if he had made a mistake, but also knowing that even he couldn't chance the entire tribe's traditions for his daughter sake, even if he wanted to.

0o0o0o0

'Congratulations!' Ty Lee squealed, embracing Azula. 'You look so pretty!'

'Only inside,' Azula said. 'The dress is too cold.' She realised she sounded bitter and she tried to improve her tone with a small smile.

Luckily, Ty Lee was so happy it seemed it was her own birthday. Mai, on the other hand, was meverhappy. It was one of the reasons Azula was so fond of her. She never felt like she had to pretend - not for any of them. They were her only two friends and she couldn't imagine her life without them. They sometimes seemed as the only people who understood her frustration.

Mai sometimes trained with her in secret. She was a non-bender herself, but she could any target with her boomerang. Ty Lee was a dancer and an acrobat who had always been interested in Azula's heeling lessons. Even though she was a non-bender as well, she knew more about chi than Azula did.

There were so many people and they all wanted to congratulate Azula. Some of them were boys her agenand they smiled seductively at her, hoping they would be allowed a chance to marry into the royal family. Azula hated every second of it.

'Smile, princess Azula,' Ursa said as softly as she could.

'I thought it was _my_ birthday,' Azula muttered, but she mustered a small smile as she was handed another gift by her father's left hand. 'It is very kind of you, Admiral Zhao,' she said, before handing the present to one of the servant that placed it on top of the already very large pile. Azula wasn't too curious about what it contained - she knew most, if not all, would mean nothing to her. Pretty dresses, jewelry, maybe some tools for healers - she had to admit that that could come in handy. People could get hurt it battle, of course. But all the other stuff. If only someone would give her a new knive, or battle gear…

'You look as radiant as the moon, Princess Azula.'

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eye as she thanked everyone who complimented her for all the wrong reasons.

* * *

'I'm very happy and very proud to announce that my daughter has turned sixteen, and is now ready to get married.'

Azula knew she was supposed to be proud as well, but instead she only felt fear. She stared at her lap, not ready to meet all the gazes that had fallen upon her.

'It is my pleasure, to announce her engagement to…' She had to smile right now, she knew it. She had to seem happy. She should be happy - she had made her father proud. She tried to smile, but it only felt ridiculous, forcing the corners of her mouth to go up whereas the rest of her face expressed her misery.

A round of applause.

'And now, a demonstration of master Paku and his students.'

Azula allowed herself to look up. She realised Zuko was staring at her and she met his gaze, but for once, she couldn't find anything to sneer at him. Oh, how she hated him, how she hated that he could be free, whereas she was in this ice cage. It wasn't fair. She turned her head and looked at the demonstration, knowing that if she had been standing there, it would've been more spectaculair. Azula would have made the audience marvel.

* * *

'Weren't you able to smile at least once?' Ursa yelled at her.

Azula tried to stay calm. She really did.

'Answer me!'

'I thought I was an adult now, _mother_!'

'No you're not! Not until you behave like one!'

Azula balled her fists. 'You're unbelievable! Having to listen to the fool Chan can't be worse than having to listen to you - that is my only solace!'

There was a short silence. Ozai, Ursa and Zuko all stared at her in surprise, just as a few servants who had happened to overhear the conversation. Azula turned around and left the palace as quickly as she could. She was happy she at least wore her parka, since the demonstration had been in the open air and they had to return to the palace.

She wanted to be alone - and it was her birthday. Could they not even allow her to do what she wanted for one day a year.

'Azula… wait.'

She halted for one second, recognising the voice of her brother, before walking on. She didn't want to hear what he had to say. Zuko always chose his mother's side and Azula was not ready to apologize to her - not now, not ever. She had meant what she had said. Perhaps Chan was not as horribly strict, allowing her some free time. She had to have some hope, or she would turn crazy.

'Didn't you hear me?'

'No, I didn't, _Zuzu,_ ' she snapped, not looking at him as she he now walking beside her. He recognized the sarcasm in her voice, but didn't react. They walked side by side, in silence.

'Where are you going?' he asked after a few minutes.

'The ocean,' Azula responded, surprising herself. She hadn't realised where she was going, but her feet had taken her where she wanted to be. The ocean always calmed her down. In that immense vastness of water, her own problems seemed to drown, to become little, close to nothing. If only she could stay there forev

The ocean was a little outside of the village, so there were no people. If it weren't for Zuko, she could finally be alone. Azula found she was glad she wasn't by herself. They looked at the ocean in silence.

'Are you okay?' Zuko suddenly asked.

Azula laughed bitterly. 'What makes you think that I am?' she asked. Zuko didn't respond to that question. 'Maybe… Chan is okay,' he said.

'I somehow doubt it,' Azula said. 'I'm not exactly born lucky, am I? If only I had been a boy…' She swallowed. 'It's not fair..'

Zuko frowned. 'Azula, I don't want to…'

'It's not fair,' she said, louder this time.

'Azu…'

'IT'S NOT FAIR!' she screamed. She stretched her arms and an enormous wave of water erupted from the sea that had seemed so calm seconds ago.

Zuko flinched, never having seen that display of power before. 'Azula…'

She didn't listen, making half a cirkel with her right arm. The wave crashed down on of the enormous icebergs. Most of them had been there for centurious, maybe even longer, growing each year.

'Azula…'

She had fixed her eyes on the iceberg. Stretching her arm, she created a crack in the ice. Zuko's eyes widened. 'You can't do that!'

'Who's going to stop me?' Azula growled, needing to let go of her anger. She separated both of her hands and with an almost impossible strength, feeded by years of her anger, the iceberg split in two.

Zuko had never seen anyone do that. He didn't even know it was possible and he looked at his sister in surprise and a bit of anger - before they both were knocked back.

A beam of light blue light erupted from the iceberg. 'What are you doing? Stop it!' Zuko screamed at Azula.

Azula could only stare at the light as someone erupted from it. 'There's someone!' she yelled back at Zuko.

They both couldn't believe their eyes.

'If this is your idea of a joke…'

Azula stood up again, bending a stream of water to carry her towards the sea. Surfing on the water, she neared the iceberg. Zuko followed her, slightly slower than she was.

When the iceberg had split, the two halves had fallen on the water, the middle sides up, so that two relatively even surfaces had been created. On one of them, a young boy lay, not moving. Azula rushed towards him, until she heard a beastly roar.

Zuko froze whereas she turned back, looking at something that appeared to be an enormous, swimming… _something._

Azula gritted her teeth, not having suspected this. But she was a waterbender, surrounded by water. It had been encased in ice and she could incase it again…

Two columns of water raised as Azula prepared herself to attack the monster.

'Wait! Don't hurt him!'

Azula now had two things to worry about. The boy had seemed harmless at first, but mostly because he seemed to be dead, or near to it. She had noticed the arrow on his head, which meant that he was a airbender. She wasn't sure how that was possible, but she knew it meant he could fight her. He couldn't win, of course, but if that beast helped him… She glanced him and noticed he was now sitting, not ready to attack her. Airbenders dídn't like to fight, instead preferring to search for a peaceful solution.

'I don't think he means to hurt us,' Zuko said. Azula looked at the boy, who nodded and smiled innocently at her. She sighed and the water fell in the sea again.

'Who are you?' she demanded. 'And how did you end up in that iceberg?'

'I don't know,' the boy said. 'My name is Aang. Who are you?'

Azula frowned. 'I am the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe,' she said haughtily. Aang didn't seem to impressed and nodded enthusiastically at her words. 'Cool!' he said.

Cool wasn't really the word Azula had wanted to hear, but she prided herself on being able to read people and she didn't think he meant to hurt her. 'What is that?' she asked, gesturing at the beast.

'That's Appa. My flying bison!'

'Your flying… bison?' Zuko repeated.

'So you're an Airbender then?' Azula asked.

Aang nodded. 'Sure am!'

'No way,' Zuko said. 'That not possible.'

'Why not?' Aang asked.

Azula raised a hand, imploring Zuko to shut up for once. 'Where are you from?' she asked.

'The Western Air Temple.'

She nodded. 'When did you leave there?'

'Eh… I don't know,' Aang said, scratching his bald head. 'It feels like a couple of hours, but it could be a couple of days.'

'Really?' Azula repeated. 'If it has been a couple of days at most, how did you end up in an very old iceberg?'

Aang suddenly didn't look so cheerful anymore. He shrugged. Azula almost felt guilty. She sighed.

'You can't be from the Western air temple,' Zuko said. 'You're lying.'

'Why can't I be from the Western Air temple?' Aang said. 'And I'm not lying.'

'He isn't lying, Zuko,' Azula said.

'There is not Western Air Temple left,' Zuko said to Aang. 'It was destroyed over a century ago.'

Aang blinked a few times.

'So I guess that's the reason why you it is possible that you were in an ancient iceberg,' Azula said. 'You have been in there for at least a hundred years.'

'What. No!' Aang protested. 'I can't. It only feels yesterday… Do I look like a hundred-and-twelve year old boy?'

Azula crossed her arms in front of her chest. 'The ice must have stopped your body functions,' she said. 'But I still don't understand how you could get in there.' _Only a waterbender could do that…_

 _Only a waterbender… but he's an Airbender!_

'I need to go home!' Aang exclaimed. 'You two must be wrong!'

Azula knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'Let me at least look at you,' she said. 'I am a healer.'

It was about the first time she said those words with some form of pride.

'I feel fine,' Aang said.

'I believe you. But you've been encased in ice. It won't take long, I promise.'

As she checked him, she asked as nonchalantly as possible: 'how are you planning to go to the Western Air Temple?'

'On Appa, of course,' Aang said.

Azula nodded as if that was the most logical way of transportation. 'Of course.' He did seem to be fine - which should be impossible.

'Aang…'

'Yes? Princes? I don't know your name.'

Azula smiled. 'Stupid of me. I'm Azula.'

'Nice to meet you, Azula.'

'Nice to meet you too. Listen, Aang... '

'Yes?'

'Can I come with you?'

* * *

 _Please review!_


End file.
